A cloudburst in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district struck an under-construction hotel site in the early hours of Sunday, leaving approximately nine workers missing. The incident occurred near Paligad-Silai Band in Tehsil Barkot, close to the Yamunotri National Highway.

The cloudburst, which took place around 2:00 AM, caused significant damage to the construction site. Authorities fear the missing workers may have been swept away by the heavy rain and resulting debris flow. Most of the missing workers are reported to be of Nepali origin.

Immediately following the incident, rescue operations were launched. Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and local police were dispatched to the affected area. Uttarkashi District Magistrate Prashant Arya is closely monitoring the situation.

The heavy rainfall has also disrupted transportation in the region. The Barkot-Yamunotri road has been affected, and the Sonprayag-Munkatiya road in Rudraprayag district, a route used by pilgrims traveling to Kedarnath, has been blocked due to debris from landslides. Movement has been restricted on this road due to continuous rainfall. The highway is closed at many places, including Silai bend, since the cloudburst. There are also reports of heavy rain damaging agricultural land in Kuthnaur village in the district. The road near Ojri has also been completely damaged and agricultural fields are filled with debris. The Kupda Kunshala Trikhili motor bridge in Syanachatti is also in danger and the water level of the Yamuna has also risen following heavy rain.

Authorities are continuing search and rescue operations despite challenging weather conditions and the difficult terrain. The focus remains on locating the missing workers and providing assistance to those affected by the natural disaster.